1988 vs 1997
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+35.9%
Median Home
+29.2%
Housing Labor
1.1x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1988 Price | 1997 Price | Change | Hours 1988 | Hours 1997 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.79 | $1.06 | +34% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.61 | $0.87 | +42% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $1.23 | +30% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.36 | $1.40 | +2% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.85 | $1.00 | +17% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.88 | $2.68 | +42% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.77 | $4.11 | +48% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $2.92 | +19% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +18% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,646 | $3,111 | +89% | 125.7h | 174.8h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $13,932 | $20,276 | +46% | 1064.2h | 1139.5h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $403 | $525 | +30% | 30.8h | 29.5h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.27 | $37.03 | +31% | 2.2h | 2.1h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1988 to 1997, sorted by magnitude.
125.7h → 174.8h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
1064.2h → 1139.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1988 to 1997, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
30.8h → 29.5h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
2.2h → 2.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1988 ($27,230), you'd need $36,957 in 1997 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (118.3 → 160.5).